After a century of warfare, humanity finally discovered the Achilles heel of the Ryall, their xenophobic reptilian foe. Spica - Alpha Virginis - is the key star system in enemy space. It is the hub through which all Ryall starships must pass, and if humanity can only capture and hold it, they will strangle the Ryall war machine and end their threat to humankind forever.

Antares Passage: Antares, Book 2

After more than a century of isolation, the paths between stars are again open and the people of Alta in contact with their sister colony on Sandar. The opening of the foldlines has not been the unmixed blessing the Altans had supposed, however. For the reestablishment of interstellar travel has brought with it news of the Ryall, an alien race whose goal is the extermination of humanity. If they are to avoid defeat at the hands of the aliens, Alta must seek out the military might of Earth.

Antares Dawn: Antares, Book 1

When the supergiant star Antares exploded in 2512, the human colony on Alta found their pathway to the stars gone, isolating them from the rest of human space for more than a century. Then one day, a powerful warship materialized in the system without warning. Alarmed by the sudden appearance of such behemoth, the commanders of the Altan Space Navy dispatched one of their most powerful ships to investigate. What ASNS Discovery finds when they finally catch the intruder is a battered hulk manned by a dead crew. That is disturbing news for the Altans....

Gibraltar Stars: Gibraltar Earth, Book 3

The great debate is over. The human race has rejected the idea of pulling back from the stars and hiding on Earth in the hope the Broa will overlook us for a few more generations. Instead, the World Parliament, by a 60-40 vote, has decided to throw the dice and go for a win. Parliament Hall resounds with brave words as members declare victory inevitable. With the balance of forces a million to one against Homo sapiens' Terra, those who must turn patriotic speeches into hard-won reality have their work cut out for them.

Gibraltar Sun: Gibraltar Earth, Book 2

The expedition to the Crab Nebula has returned to Earth and the news is not good. Out among the stars, a million systems have fallen under Broan domination, the fate awaiting Earth should the Broa ever learn of its existence. The problem would seem to allow but three responses: submit meekly to slavery, fight and risk extermination, or hide and pray the Broa remain ignorant of humankind for at least a few more generations. Are the hairless apes of Sol III finally faced with a problem for which there is no acceptable solution?

Gibraltar Earth: Gibraltar Earth, Book 1

It is the 24th Century and humanity is just gaining a toehold out among the stars. Stellar Survey Starship Magellan is exploring the New Eden system when they encounter two alien spacecraft. When the encounter is over, the score is one human scout ship and one alien aggressor destroyed. In exploring the wreck of the second alien ship, spacers discover a survivor with a fantastic story.

Life Probe: Makers, Book 1

The Makers searched for the secret to faster-than-light travel for 100,000 years. Their chosen instruments were the Life Probes, which they launched in every direction to seek out advanced civilizations among the stars. One such machine searching for intelligent life encounters 21st-century Earth. It isn't sure that it has found any....

Procyon's Promise: Makers, Book 2

>Three hundred years after humanity made its deal with the Life Probe to search out the secret of faster-than-light travel, the descendants of the original expedition return to Earth in a starship. They find a world that has forgotten the ancient contract. No matter. The colonists have overcome far greater obstacles in their single-minded drive to redeem a promise made before any of them were born....

The Sails of Tau Ceti

Starhopper was humanity's first interstellar probe. It was designed to search for intelligent life beyond the solar system. Before it could be launched, however, intelligent life found Earth. The discovery of an alien light sail inbound at the edge of the solar system generated considerable excitement in scientific circles. With the interstellar probe nearing completion, it gave scientists the opportunity to launch an expedition to meet the aliens while they were still in space.

The Clouds of Saturn

When the sun flared out of control and boiled Earth's oceans, humanity took refuge in a place that few would have predicted. In the greatest migration in history, the entire human race took up residence among the towering clouds and deep clear-air canyons of Saturn's upper atmosphere. Having survived the traitor star, they returned to the all-too-human tradition of internecine strife. The new city-states of Saturn began to resemble those of ancient Greece, with one group of cities taking on the role of militaristic Sparta...

A Show of Force: Frontiers Saga, Book 13

The Aurora begins clearing a 20 light year sphere of safety around Earth, taking out Jung forces as they liberate the core systems. However, Captain Scott and the Alliance quickly discover that not every world wants to be liberated, and the Jung have a few surprises of their own.

Thunder Strike!

The new comet found near Jupiter was an incredible treasure trove of water-ice and rock. Immediately, the water-starved Luna Republic and Sierra Corporation, a leader in asteroid mining, were squabbling over rights to the new resource. But all thoughts of profit and fame were abandoned when a scientific expedition discovered that the comet's trajectory placed it on a collision course with Earth!

Leviathan: The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier, Book 5

Two Syndicate World star systems have fallen prey to a mysterious fleet of warships - a fleet controlled entirely by artificial intelligence - that is now targeting Alliance space. The warships are no mystery to Geary. They were developed by his government to ensure security but malfunctioned. If the Syndics learn the truth, the war with the Alliance will resume with a vengeance.

The Lost Command: Lost Starship Series, Volume 2

Starship Victory, a faithful alien spacecraft guarding its shattered system for 10,000 years, agreed to come to Earth. Now Captain Maddox and his crew have a new assignment. They must find Professor Ludendorff before the New Men do. The New Men need Ludendorff's help so they can capture the alien starship. Maddox needs the neglected superweapons repaired so he can rescue a Star Watch fleet trapped deep in enemy territory.

Brothers in Valor: Man of War, Book 3

Sometimes Captain Max Robichaux fights by the book - and sometimes he throws the book away. This makes him one of the Union Space Navy's rising stars. It's also what has kept him and his green crew alive...thus far.

Steadfast: The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier, Book 4

Geary and the crew of the Dauntless have managed to safely escort important alien representatives to Earth. But before they can make tracks for home, two of Geary’s key lieutenants vanish. The search for his missing men leads Geary on a far-flung chase, ultimately ending at the one spot in space from which all humans have been banned: The moon Europa. Any ship that lands there must stay or be destroyed—leaving Geary to face the most profound moral dilemma of his life.

A Savage War of Peace: Ark Royal, Book 5

On her maiden voyage, HMS Warspite discovered Vesy, a world populated by primitive aliens, aliens whose culture had already been twisted and warped by human refugees from the First Interstellar War. Now Captain John Naiser and his crew spearhead a diplomat mission to the alien homeworld, hoping to ease them into the galactic mainstream.

Perilous Shield: The Lost Stars, Book 2

Following a successful coup, the leaders of the rebel Midway Star System struggle to forge a government free enough to please its citizens yet strong enough to secure power. But in a world where former rulers have become new foes, an alien threat to humanity may turn old adversaries into uncertain allies. General Artur Drakon knows three words describe someone who confides in a Syndicate CEO: Stupid. Betrayed. Dead. Despite his misgivings, he partnered with another former CEO to overthrow Syndic forces.

The Abyss Beyond Dreams: Chronicle of the Fallers, Book 1

The year is 3326. Nigel Sheldon, one of the founders of the Commonwealth, receives a visit from the Raiel - self-appointed guardians of the Void, the enigmatic construct at the core of the galaxy that threatens the existence of all that lives. The Raiel convince Nigel to participate in a desperate scheme to infiltrate the Void. Once inside, Nigel discovers that humans are not the only life-forms to have been sucked into the Void. The humans trapped there are afflicted by an alien species of biological mimics.

Call to Battle: Scrapyard Ship, Book 7

Welcome to the final, heart-pounding episode of the Scrapyard Ship series. It's all about to end in one climatic crescendo. The story continues with Captain Jason Reynolds and his team: Billy, Rizzo, and the rhino-warrior, Traveler. They must attempt to rescue Ricket and Gaddy, still held captive aboard the impregnable Dreathlor prison barge. Only after the rescue can Jason return to the Lilly, his highly advanced Caldurian vessel...where it all began.

First Strike: The Slaver Wars, Book 4

The cryosleep chambers are beginning to fail. Surveillance of Hocklyn space has revealed that the Hocklyns are thirty years ahead of their projected schedule and will soon reach human occupied space. War could break out any day if something isn't done. The human leaders suggest a daring plan to buy them the additional time they need to strengthen the Fleet, as well as the defenses protecting their worlds.

Influx

Particle physicist Jon Grady is ecstatic when his team achieves what they've been working toward for years: A device that can reflect gravity. Their research will revolutionize the field of physics - the crowning achievement of a career. Grady expects widespread acclaim for his entire team. The Nobel Prize. Instead, his lab is locked down by a shadowy organization whose mission is to prevent at all costs the social upheaval sudden technological advances bring.

Linesman

The lines. No ship can traverse the void without them. Only linesmen can work with them. But only Ean Lambert hears their song. And everyone thinks he's crazy.... Most slum kids never go far, certainly not becoming a level 10 linesman like Ean. Even if he's part of a small and unethical cartel, and the other linesmen disdain his self-taught methods, he's certified and working. Then a mysterious alien ship is discovered at the edges of the galaxy.

Craing Dominion: Scrapyard Ship, Book 5

Join Captain Jason Reynolds as he ventures into the proverbial lion’s den in a last ditch effort to even the playing field with the Craing - an empire that has embarked on a pursuit that will guarantee their de facto dominance for millennia to come.

Warspite: Ark Royal, Book 4

The First Interstellar War is over, but the Royal Navy still has plenty of work to do. As Earth struggles to recover from the bombardment, Captain John Naiser is placed in command of HMS Warspite - an experimental heavy cruiser - and ordered to escort a squadron of colony ships to a star system of immense strategic importance. But as the crew struggle to survive hundreds of light years from Earth, they find themselves dealing with the legacy of the war.

Publisher's Summary

After a century of warfare, humanity finally discovered the Achilles heel of the Ryall, their xenophobic reptilian foe. Spica - Alpha Virginis - is the key star system in enemy space. It is the hub through which all Ryall starships must pass, and if humanity can only capture and hold it, they will strangle the Ryall war machine and end their threat to humankind forever.

It all seemed so simple in the computer simulations: Advance by stealth, attack without warning, strike swiftly with overwhelming power. Unfortunately, conquering the Ryall proves the easy part. With the key to victory in hand, Richard and Bethany Drake discover that they must also conquer human nature if they are to bring down the alien foe.

This is a little strange to me that the first book was written in 1986 the second in 1987 and then this one in 2002, that is a big gap in time but as it turns out it was for the better.

The first 2 books were sorta "dated" having some things in them that were, well, the best way to put it was "out of the 80's" and then this book in 2002 somewhat cleared up those things as well as add to some of the science as some thigns were missing in the first 2 books.

The "victory" that is in this book is something that you can probably figure out, but in case you cant I wont ruin it for you, we will say that what happens is not as expected but it exactly as expected - that is to say that the outcome was expected but the way it came about wasn't.

The thing about Michael McCollum is that his books that I have read when the "thing its all about" is over the book is over, there isn't anything really after the "thing" is over whatever that is, I wish there were some little after that but they do end properly.

I liked these 3 books and I hope a prequel is written because I think there can be like 3 more books before this one if not more than that.

What did you like best about Antares Victory? What did you like least?

I liked Antares Victory, a good cap to the series. All the characters come in to their own and play a role. The battles are well described, thought out and detailed. The space travel is very 'realistic'. My main point that I love about McCollum, is that he is "fair". What I mean by this is that he doesn't give the bad guys superior advantage or have the hero's do stupid things to progress the plot. Both sides are well balanced. A lot of books give handicaps to the protagonists to make it exciting. In this book, the humans are just as likely to win the day as the enemy.

What I liked least is actually connected to the above... It goes a little too well for humanity. This book is really fun to listen to, but it seems to go all in humanities favor. No main characters die off, and by the end of it, I'm thinking, "oh new space battle! how is humanity going to kick butt this time??" instead of "oh new space battle, how is humanity going to faire?"

Overall though, I think this book is very fun.

Who was your favorite character and why?

My favorite character is most likely Adimiral Gauer. A hard steadfast, and unsung hero of the Sandar fleet.

Did Gavin Hammon do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

A very good job. While I think he comes off sounding a bit creepy when doing women, they all sound different. I can recognize who's talking just by listening to them speak.

Do you think Antares Victory needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

It would be nice! It leaves you with a good feeling, but still open ended

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